> : The 9000's tend to run with > : less operator intervention for longer periods of time. > > I disagree with this completely. One of the things MPE customers like > most about the HP3000 is how little operator intervention is required. > (Can someone back me up on this?) I can, kinda. We have a mixed shop (AS/400, MPE, and every flavor of UNIX that Lucifer ever invented). The AS/400 programmers make extensive use of operator time and invoke console messaging constantly. But they also took the time to train the operators, and the Ops group had a nasty habit of hiring only IBM literate operators. MPE programmers, wary of 3:00am questions like "what's a job" and "how do I VARY off a printer" decided to depend less on operators (or as one malcontent phrased it, to programm them out of the loop). For MPE operators merely juggle tapes, align printers and call when jobs abort. The UNIX folk (half of which came from the MPE side) took this mind set, combined it with the fact that there was no consistant console interaction commands from one flavor of UNIX to another, and decided to all but eliminate operator intervention. So, I think any system can be refined to permit operator intervention to the preferance of the programmer. My experience indicates that UNIX is less "conversational" than MPE, but not from design. More from over- sight. There is a general mind-set in UNIXland that an un-announced process abort (be it for a spooler, net daemon, etc) is fine. Someone will notice it sooner or later. So the original statement may be correct, but it is not necessarily a good state of affairs. ======================================================================= Guy Smith Voice: 804-527-4000 ext 6664 Circuit City Stores, Inc. FAX: 804-527-4116 9950 Mayland Drive E-Mail: attmail.com!bronco!guys Richmond, VA 23233-1464 Private E-Mail: [log in to unmask] The thoughts expressed herein are mine and do not reflect those of my employer, or anyone with common sense.